Rim size management method for tire testing machine

Abstract

A rim size management method for a tire testing machine includes: a registration step of registering a rim size of each of rims mounted on a rim table in association with a corresponding one of mounting positions on the rim table; a measurement step of actually measuring, with use of a rim measurement mechanism, a size at an outer circumferential edge of at least a first rim mounted at a first mounting position among the plurality of mounting positions; a determination step of determining whether or not the size thus measured at the outer circumferential edge of the first rim corresponds to a registered rim size as the rim size thus registered; and an avoidance step of executing avoidance operation of avoiding contact between the rim and the pair of conveyors when the size at the outer circumferential edge is determined as not corresponding to the registered rim size.

1 . A rim size management method of managing rim sizes of a plurality of rims in a tire testing machine including a pair of conveyors configured to convey a tire as a target of a tire test, a rim table disposed below the pair of conveyors and having a plurality of mounting positions to be provided with the plurality of rims including a first rim and a second rim and varied in rim size, a spindle unit to be provided with a rim, and a rim measurement mechanism, the tire testing machine configured to shift an attachment target rim mounted at one of the mounting positions from the rim table to above the pair of conveyors by allowing the attachment target rim to pass between the pair of conveyors in a state where the pair of conveyors has an appropriate gap adjusted to be adapted to a rim size of the attachment target rim when the attachment target rim is attached to the spindle unit, the method comprising:
 a registration step of registering a rim size of each of the rims mounted on the rim table in association with a corresponding one of the mounting positions;   a measurement step of actually measuring, with use of the rim measurement mechanism, a size at an outer circumferential edge of at least the first rim mounted at a first mounting position among the plurality of mounting positions;   a determination step of determining whether or not the size thus measured at the outer circumferential edge of the first rim corresponds to a registered rim size as the rim size preliminarily registered in association with the first mounting position; and   an avoidance step of executing avoidance operation of avoiding contact between the attachment target rim and the pair of conveyors when the size at the outer circumferential edge of the first rim is determined as not corresponding to the registered rim size.   
     
     
         2 . The rim size management method in the tire testing machine according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the plurality of mounting positions includes at least the first mounting position and a second mounting position,   the first rim is mounted at the first mounting position, and the second rim is mounted at the second mounting position,   the measurement step includes actually measuring, with use of the rim measurement mechanism, a size at an outer circumferential edge of the second rim,   the attachment target rim is either the first rim or the second rim,   the determination step includes determining whether or not an attachment rim size as the size at the outer circumferential edge of the attachment target rim measured in the measurement step corresponds to a registered rim size preliminarily registered in association with the mounting position of the attachment target rim, and   the avoidance step includes executing the avoidance operation when the attachment rim size is determined as not corresponding to the registered rim size.   
     
     
         3 . The rim size management method in the tire testing machine according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the determination step includes determining that the size at the outer circumferential edge thus measured in the measurement step does not correspond to the registered rim size when the size thus measured at the outer circumferential edge and the registered rim size have a difference equal to or more than a predetermined allowable value.   
     
     
         4 . The rim size management method in the tire testing machine according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the rim measurement mechanism includes an expansion mechanism disposed to expand toward the outer circumferential edge of the rim having the size at the outer circumferential edge to be measured by the rim measurement mechanism, a measurement section having a bar member disposed parallel to an expansion direction in which the expansion mechanism expands and a traveling member shifting along the bar member, and a guide member disposed parallel to the expansion direction and linking the expansion mechanism and the traveling member in the measurement section, and   the measurement step includes calculating a travel distance, from a predetermined reference point, of the traveling member linked with the expansion mechanism via the guide member when the expansion mechanism expands to have a tip coming into contact with the outer circumferential edge, and calculating the size at the outer circumferential edge in accordance with the travel distance.   
     
     
         5 . The rim size management method in the tire testing machine according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the tire testing machine further includes a controller configured to control operation of the tire testing machine, and   the controller controls operation of the tire testing machine such that, when a predetermined condition is satisfied, the size at the outer circumferential edge is individually measured for each of the rims mounted on the rim table in the measurement step, and whether or not the size thus measured at the outer circumferential edge corresponds to the registered rim size is determined in the determination step.   
     
     
         6 . The rim size management method in the tire testing machine according to  claim 5 , wherein
 the controller controls operation of the tire testing machine such that the measurement step and the determination step are discontinued when the size at the outer circumferential edge of one of the rims is determined as not corresponding to the registered rim size in the determination step, even if the measurement step and the determination step are not completed for every one of the rims.   
     
     
         7 . The rim size management method in the tire testing machine according to  claim 5 , wherein
 the controller updates the registered rim size for at least one of the rims in accordance with a result of determination in the determination step.   
     
     
         8 . The rim size management method in the tire testing machine according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the tire testing machine further includes a controller configured to control operation of the tire testing machine, and   the controller controls operation of the tire testing machine such that the tire test is discontinued when the size at the outer circumferential edge thus measured in the measurement step is determined as not corresponding to the registered rim size in the determination step.   
     
     
         9 . The rim size management method in the tire testing machine according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the tire testing machine further includes a controller configured to control operation of the tire testing machine,   the controller is configured to select the attachment target rim as the rim having the rim size adapted to the size of the tire as the target of the tire test from among the plurality of rims mounted on the rim table in accordance with information on the size of the tire to be tested before conduct of the tire test, and control operation of the tire testing machine such that the attachment target rim thus selected is automatically replaced with the rim attached to the spindle unit, and   when the size at the outer circumferential edge of the attachment target rim thus selected is measured in the measurement step and the size thus measured at the outer circumferential edge is determined as not corresponding to the rim size preliminarily registered in association with one of the mounting positions corresponding to the attachment target rim thus selected in the determination step, the controller controls operation of the tire testing machine such that the operation for replacement of the rim attached to the spindle unit with the attachment target rim thus selected is stopped and the tire test is discontinued.